The Disability Section of APHA draws members from a variety of occupations and academic disciplines because, as you know, the issue of disability transcends boundaries and touches on most other public health issues. Unlike many other APHA sections whose missions focus on a particular health occupation or area, ours reaches far and wide to address disability-related health disparities. The richness and diversity of the Disability Section both strengthens our efforts and challenges us to reach out to those who would benefit from membership but who may not be aware of how relevant our mission is to their own work.

For this reason, we would like to begin highlighting the diverse backgrounds of our members to demonstrate the saliency of our efforts to those who have not yet discovered the benefits of joining the Disability Section. This information will be posted on our Web site and perhaps used in future promotional materials.

Whether you work in epidemiology, disability studies, medicine, social work, or any other area, and whether you are a student, senior scientist, or anywhere in between, your enthusiasm regarding the benefits of Disability Section membership relayed via your brief personal story may encourage potential members to join our section. If you're willing to share your photo and story, and to have them highlighted on the Disability Section Web site, please drop us a few lines to tell us:

• what area of disability and public health you represent.
• how many years you have been a member.
• why you joined initially.
• what you have gained from your membership.

Thank you in advance for your contributions. Please direct any questions or concerns to dotn@ku.edu.